The present invention relates to a latch assembly, including a latch and a latch-guiding lever, which can reciprocatingly move between an extended, latching position and a retracted, unlatching position and, in particular, such a latch assembly which prevents slippage between the latch and the latch-guiding lever.
Known latch or latch locking structures usually use a spring to position the latch at the latched position and a manual latch-guiding lever to push the latch to the retracted position. The latch and latch-guiding lever are usually assembled using conventional threaded joint or press-on packing assembly methods. However, such conventional methods of assembly often cause damage, particularly to the threads, or looseness of the component parts of the latch assembly, due to use over an extended period of time or infrequent pushes or excessive external forces. Indeed, the latch-guiding lever may even loosen and slip off from the latch, causing the latch or latch-locking assembly to lose its assigned function and thereby cause extreme user difficulties.
With respect to latch-guiding levers and latches that are assembled by means of thread connections, troubles may be generated due to the extent to which the threads are tightened. If they are overly tightened, this will increase the diameter of the head of the latch-guiding lever causing excessive friction between the lever and its guide slot wall, thereby making it more difficult for users to push the latch-guiding lever; if they are not tightened sufficiently, this will make the latch-guiding lever protrude outside too much, thereby causing the latch-guiding lever to easily loosen and even slip off from the latch.
To overcome the problem of the latch-guiding lever loosening and slipping off, inverse installed screws and clamp spring packing means have been used to replace the conventional screw assembly. Although this solved the loosening and slipping-off phenomenon of the latch-guiding lever, it added difficulties during assembly, caused inconvenience to users and added higher costs.
From the foregoing, it should be evident that a latch assembly that is easy to assemble and can also avoid the loosening and slipping off of the latch-guiding lever is needed.